Lille completed the Ligue 1 season in third place to secure a Champions League berth, despite suffering a 2-0 home defeat to Auxerre on the final day. Paris Saint-Germain had already wrapped up the French title earlier in the week.
Three clubs — Lille, Lyon and Rennes — were in contention for third place heading into the final round of matches. None of the trio managed to win, allowing Lille to claim the coveted spot by one point over Lyon.
Benjamin Andre: "Everyone Wants to Play in the Champions League"
"This is not the match we wanted to play, but the main thing is that we finish third. It's the reward for a whole season. We should not focus on this final match," Lille captain Benjamin Andre said. "This is very important for the club."
Auxerre Survives Relegation
Mali forward Lassine Sinayoko scored a brace for Auxerre, guaranteeing the team's top-flight status and avoiding the relegation playoff.
Lyon Misses Out on Champions League Spot
Lyon's hopes of finishing third faded quickly as coach Paulo Fonseca's side trailed by three goals before halftime at home against Lens. Florian Thauvin added another goal in the second half to seal a 4-0 victory for the visitors.
Lyon will now enter Champions League qualifying instead.
Marseille Secures Europa League Place
Marseille defeated Rennes 3-1 with goals from Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg, Amine Gouiri and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Esteban Lepaul reduced the deficit with his 21st goal of the season.
The win lifted Marseille to fifth place—level on points with Rennes but with a superior goal difference—earning a spot in the Europa League.
PSG Ends Season With Loss to Local Rival
In Paris, PSG concluded its domestic campaign with a 2-1 loss to neighbors Paris FC. Bradley Barcola put PSG in front before Alimami Gory leveled in the 76th minute and completed his brace in added time.
PSG, which secured its 14th league title on Wednesday, will now focus on the Champions League final against Arsenal on May 30 at Puskas Arena in Budapest.
Nice Faces Relegation Playoff
Nice finished 16th after a 0-0 draw with last-place Metz and will face Saint-Etienne in a promotion-relegation playoff. The pitch was invaded briefly after the final whistle.
Strasbourg Completes Dramatic Comeback
Strasbourg came back to beat Monaco 5-4 after trailing 4-1 in the 55th minute. Martial Godo and Sebastian Nanasi both scored twice in the remarkable recovery.
Halilhodzic's Final Game Ends in Chaos
Veteran Nantes coach Vahid Halilhodzic's final match ended in abandonment after fans stormed the field in anger over the club's relegation to the second division.
Halilhodzic was honored with a guard of honor before the match against Toulouse, receiving loud applause from supporters. However, the atmosphere turned chaotic following the result.
The 74-year-old Halilhodzic is retiring after returning to Nantes in March and failing to keep the eight-time champion in Ligue 1. He previously won the French title with Nantes as a striker in 1983 and ranks third on the club's all-time scorers list with 93 league goals.
His coaching career included spells with Lille—where he was named coach of the season—and PSG, before managing Ivory Coast, Algeria, Japan and Morocco.